This story has been up to date to make clear that Uber continued to decide up passengers from the JFK Airport amidst a taxi driver strike that was held in response to Trump’s Muslim ban, and now additionally consists of the assertion CEO Travis Kalanick made about providing authorized help to Uber drivers affected by Trump’s refugee ban.

…#DeleteUber started trending after Uber tweeted it was lifting surge pricing at JFK International Airport, the place hundreds had gathered to reveal towards the ban.

Customers took it as proof the firm was making an attempt to revenue off of putting staff. Lyft had paused its surge pricing and continued to function as properly, an organization spokeswoman stated, however dozens of Uber clients stated they might as an alternative flip to that service.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is a member of President Trump’s financial advisory group and has repeatedly pledged to work with the president to clear up points associated to city mobility, drawing the ire of activists who say such attitudes allow Trump’s actions. Kalanick expressed concern with the ban in a memo to staff Saturday, saying it might have an effect on “many innocent people,” and that the firm would discover how to compensate impacted staff for 3 months.

In that memo, Kalanick additionally acknowledged that his determination to be a part of Trump’s advisory board together with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and different tech leaders might have rubbed some individuals the fallacious method. That admission prompted many responses, together with this from Eric Butler, an Android software program developer at Uber:

In response to Kalanick’s tacit help of Trump’s administration and the firm’s response to the airport demonstrations, everybody from Stranger contributor Ijeoma Oluo to actor Jesse Williams referred to as for Uber-users to delete the app. The New York protest was half of a nationwide effort to occupy airports throughout the nation. About 3,000 demonstrators protested inside the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Saturday evening.

In response to Uber’s determination, the firm’s important competitor Lyft, issued a press release supporting protesters. Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green issued this letter on the firm’s web site:

We created Lyft to be a mannequin for the sort of group we would like our world to be: numerous, inclusive, and protected.

This weekend, Trump closed the nation’s borders to refugees, immigrants, and even documented residents from round the world based mostly on their nation of origin. Banning individuals of a specific religion or creed, race or id, sexuality or ethnicity, from getting into the U.S. is antithetical to each Lyft’s and our nation’s core values. We stand firmly towards these actions, and won’t be silent on points that threaten the values of our group.

We know this immediately impacts many of our group members, their households, and buddies. We stand with you, and are donating $1,000,000 over the subsequent 4 years to the ACLU to defend our structure. We ask that you simply proceed to be there for one another – and collectively, proceed proving the energy of group.

News of Lyft’s donation to the ACLU (the group’s legal professionals have been answerable for serving to detainees held at airports throughout the nation) prompted this response on Twitter:

UPDATE, four PM: Uber CEO Travis Kalanick introduced that he would speak with Trump and the firm would offer authorized help and set up a $three million authorized protection fund for threatened drivers. He is e-mailing this message to drivers, in accordance to the company’s website:

At Uber we’ve all the time believed in standing up for what’s proper. Today we’d like your assist supporting drivers who could also be impacted by the President’s unjust immigration ban.

Drivers who’re residents of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen and stay in the US however have left the nation, will be unable to return for 90 days. This means they gained’t give you the chance to earn cash and help their households throughout this era.

So it’s essential that as a group that we do every part we will to assist these drivers. Here’s what Uber will do:

• Provide 24/7 authorized help for drivers who’re making an attempt to get again into the nation. Our legal professionals and immigration specialists can be on name 24/7 to assist.

• Compensate drivers for his or her misplaced earnings. This will assist them help their households and put meals on the desk whereas they’re banned from the US;

• Urge the authorities to reinstate the proper of U.S. residents to journey—no matter their nation of origin—instantly;

• Create a $three million authorized protection fund to assist drivers with immigration and translation providers.

Uber is a group. We’re right here to help one another. Please assist Uber to assist drivers who could also be affected by this improper and unjust immigration ban.

-Travis

TechCrunch famous: “An Uber spokesperson has since confirmed with TechCrunch that the process to determine which drivers will be directly impacted is already underway, though the company will not give a specific timeframe for issuing the compensation.”